Auctioning David Bomberg

The Nobile Index is a series of monographic publications of art sales prices achieved at auction, for a selection of leading 20th-century British artists. They involve the collaboration of a commercial art dealership, Piano Nobile Works of Art and the University at Bristol's History of Art Department; bringing together academic and commercial expertise on the artists for the benefit of those with an interest in their work. They are funded by the generosity of a private benefactor.

The studies are confined to analyses of auction results over the last 20 years. Although largely from UK sales, data supplied by international salerooms are also included. Graphs and interpretations of these figures are analysed and significant trends and buying patterns revealed.

It is envisaged that this data will be of growing value to private and corporate clients, museums and fine art funds. Accurate commercial appraisal has always played an important role in the consideration of new acquisitions throughout the history of art. No more so than today is this seen with the fluctuating, but ever more significant rise in value commanded by the best of many 20th-century artists' work.

This publication, written by Dr Louise Hughes during the course of her doctoral studies at the University of Bristol, makes a significant contribution to the scholarship on David Bomberg, the important twentieth-century British Vorticistm, war artist and modernist. Dr Hughes establishes for the first time a relationship between his fortunes in the auction houses and the fluctuations in his critical reception. Auctioning David Bomberg: A Sales History 1990-2010 consists of an introduction, results and analaysis, and a booklet with corresponding appendices.